Sunday, April 27, 2008

Statement of intent.



I started this blog as a means of introducing my art to the internet, but it always seems to end up as a diary of my daily doings with my art thrown in, so I think I'll leave it like that and just ramble on, and if people start picking up on my art all the better, if not then its not the end of the world.Its hard to know what people think as very few leave comments, and to be honest very few read my blog!

I am not a famous artist and never will be, but I do work as a full time artist now and also run art classes, which I love. I am very lucky as I have a studio in the same building as a Gallery, the Stephen Pearce Gallery so I have a permanent exhibition of my works. I have a website called "The Art of Phil Davis" and it would be great if readers would have a look and comment on my work, good or bad! The painting shown here is called "Peeping through", I dont know the name of the plant , but it was growing in a hole in a concrete post.

Anyway , thats enough rambling for today, so will sign off.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

A beautiful morning



A really beautiful morning, and all around wild flowers are appearing and more and more of our migrant birds are returning. Several Chiffchaff along the cliff path, amazing to think that these tiny warblers spend the winter in Africa and then fly the thousands of miles to our shores. Primroses are everywhere though many are now looking past their best. Several flowers have appeared that I have'nt identified yet, but it is all part of the fun, I always carry a camera and take shots so that I can check when I get home.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Painting a day!


I've been fascinated by the work of some of the "daily painters, so i thought I would have a go. This painting is acrylic on daler board and is 5x7 inches. I usually work on quite big canvases so it was a new discipline to work so small.While I don't put it in the class of some of the other daily painters I am not totally displeased with it. While I probably won't achieve a painting everyday I am going to try to do more, I really like the idea of working small and finishing a painting in a couple of hours.
Was a bit late taking my walk today as I had a class first thing this morning. An absolutely stunning day made better by a beautiful Peacock butterfly, my first this year, also a Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and a male Wheatear, plus several pairs of Chough doing acrobatics in the sky, all the time calling with there sharp notes which their name describes. Nice to see the buds on the sycamores, almost ready to unfurl.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Lunacy

It's 3.30am, Thursday morning and I'm waiting for a friend to pick me up.We're heading to Wicklow to see a bird, a Great Spotted Woodpecker no less, which is very rare in Ireland, but common as muck in the UK and all over europe.
Why are we going????
Because we have'nt seen a GSW in Ireland....logical ...is'nt it?
Last week it was Northern Ireland for a DUCK. A Barrows Goldeneye, admittedly this is the first record for Ireland, so it makes some kind of sense....does'nt it?
I thought I was cured of this "twitching" but looks like I was wrong....at least it gets me out of the studio for a bit.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Renewal

I have a new class starting this morning, and as usual before
a new class I am beset by doubts about not only my ability to teach, but also my ability to paint. So as usual I look at other people's work on line, and guess what?..I feel worse, especially when I look at the stunning work of somebody like Karin Jurick, the depth of colour and amazing light she achieves is awesome.
The painting is one I did two springs ago, and it always reminds me that spring is a time of renewal, and it serves to renew a small bit of my confidence.